With friends like these
by sezza43
Summary: In the aftermath of Destiny, Michael and Maria have one unforgettable night that later leads to secrets, lies and heartache. Complete
1. The night that started it all

**Title**: With friends like these

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing

**Author**: Sarah (Sezza)

**Rating**: Strong R

**Pairing**: M&M and all CC's

**Summary**: In the aftermath of Destiny, Michael and Maria have one unforgettable night that later leads to secrets, lies and heartache. 

**Distribution**: Ally's site, Belit's site, Candy is Dandy, Fanfiction.net. If anyone else wants it all you have to do is ask.

**Author's note**: This idea has some from yet another challenge over at Belit's site. I saw the challenge and had to write it as so many ideas popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I finished it. I want to thank Sherry who beta'd it and the gals over at RCWW, without them this fic would not have seen the light of day. I also want to send a special thanks to Teresa who came up with the title. Feedback is appreciated, as is honesty. You can find the challenge here: 

**Email**: sezza43@hotmail.com

**_Chapter 1 (The night that started it all)_**

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Lying on her bed, Maria looked at the glowing stars on the ceiling trying to work out exactly what had happened that night. Max had been captured by the government but was saved by them all. Then Agent Pierce came after him and Michael killed him in the process. After that Michael claimed he was destined to be a solider and wanted her safe and being safe, according to Michael, meant being away from him. She remembered being so happy yet sad at the same time. Maria sighed and rolled onto her side, burying her face into her pillow. He had told her he loved her, but she doubted that he even meant it.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a light tapping on her window. Rolling off her bed, she slowly made her way over thinking that it was probably Alex, coming to check up on her. "Alex, I really don't want to talk--"She opened the curtains and gasped in shock when it was not Alex at her window, but Michael. Getting over the shock of seeing the man that only hours ago had broken her heart, she opened her window and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Michael ignored her question and crawled through the window. He wasn't sure why he was there, maybe to check up on her? After walking away from her at the UFO centre, he hadn't been able to get her hurt look out of his mind. He had sat in his apartment for a few hours berating himself for his actions. Not just for killing Pierce, but also for hurting the only human who really meant anything to him. He decided only half an hour ago that he needed to see her and apologise for ruining her life. While walking closer to her window he could hear her loud sobs through the window and cursed himself for being the one to do that to her. He needed to fix this, he needed to make her get over him and fast. She didn't deserve someone like him, no… she deserved better. As he tapped on the window he could hear her moving around and walking closer, but as soon as she mentioned Alex, a spurt of jealousy ran though his body. Why would Alex be tapping at her window at night?

"Why the hell would you think I was Alex?"

Stepping back a little at his harsh tone, she crossed her hands over her chest. "Why do you care?" she spat as many reasons to his being here ran though her head. Did he want to rub more salt into the wound?

Michael ran a hand though his hair, making it even messier than before. Maria would have thought it was cute if she wasn't so hurt. "Is your mother here?" he asked, trying to calm himself down. 

Maria cocked her head to the side. "Why?" 

Taking a seat on the end of her bed, Michael closed his eyes and sighed. "Because we need to talk and I have no doubt that we will end up yelling at each other so I would really appreciate not having your mother come in here, hitting me with her newspaper."

After a few seconds of just looking at him she finally shook her head. "No she's not here. She left for a two week convention in Las Cruses."

"Good," he replied, nodding slightly. Without looking at her, he patted the space beside him in a silent invitation for her to sit. She did so hesitantly and waited. Maria heard him take a deep breath before slowly turning to face her. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Maria scoffed, "Yeah well you did buddy. I mean, you don't just tell a girl that you love her then leave. It doesn't work that way."

"I know and I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice. "I just don't want you to get hurt, physically I mean, because of what and who I am. Face it Maria, I'm a killer. I killed Pierce and there's no reason to believe that I won't accidentally kill you."

Maria turned to face him and took one of his larger hands into hers. "Michael, you wouldn't physically hurt me, I know you wouldn't."

Taking his hand back, Michael stood and started pacing the room. "No Maria, you don't know that. Look at how many arguments we get into. After each and every one I feel like blowing something up, but what if, instead of thinking about it, I actually do and you are standing there. Then what? Maria you could get killed being with someone like me. I can't control my powers and am not going to put you in danger like that. I won't do it."

"Why?" she yelled and jumped off the bed. "Michael it's my choice, my choice not yours. If I want to endanger my life by being with you then it's my decision, you don't have the right to take that from me."

"Yes I do!" he shouted while facing her. "I love you too much to see you hurt because of me." He watched as a single tear slipped down her cheek and his heart clenched at the sight. It wasn't supposed to be this way; he wasn't supposed to fall for a human. But he did, and now he had to let her go. "It's probably best if we see as little of each other as possible. I'm going to the Crashdown tomorrow to change my shifts so we're not rostered together."

Maria sniffed and took a step forward, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Don't do this Michael," she whispered. "Please don't do this."

Lifting his hand, he wiped away a few tears that had escaped along with the first. "I have to," he whispered, trying to hold back tears of his own. Dropping his hand, he turned around and headed for the window.

"Just like my father," he heard her mumble from behind him and froze. 

"What?" He asked, turning back to face her. He spotted her sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at the far wall.

Another tear fell down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away with the back of her hand. "I said you're just like my father. He told me he loved me then left too. Just like you're doing now. He didn't love me enough to stay either."

Michael shook his head and walked over to kneel in front of her. "Maria, I am not like your father. He left you because he was an idiot who couldn't hack having a family. His reason for leaving was a poor one. My reason will save you Maria. I have to do this. You have to let me go. Trust me, you'll find someone new."

Holding back a sob she shook her head. "No Michael, I'll never love anyone as much as I love you," she whispered and captured his lips with hers.

"Maria we can't," Michael said as he pulled back. 

"Yes we can Michael, we can make this work," she whispered, mating their foreheads together. 

Michael gazed into her eyes and all his reasons for having to leave left his brain as he captured her lips in a searing kiss unlike any other they experienced together. He wasn't sure what possessed him to kiss her or what possessed him to slowly stand without breaking the kiss and crawl up her body until he was lying half on her while caressing her cheek. The conscious part of his brain told him to stop before it went any further but the other part, the irrational part, must have killed it because all he could think of now was how smooth the exposed skin from her midriff was. 

Maria moaned into his mouth as their tongues duelled for dominance and hiked her leg up to wrap around his thigh. She wanted this, she wanted him and tonight she was going to have him. 

He slid his hand up to caress her thigh. He loved her legs, always did. They were perfect for him, the way they wrapped around his body, and he couldn't get enough. He smiled proudly into her mouth when she moaned. Getting boulder, he moved his hand from her thigh and rested it between their bodies and over the top of the buttons on her pants. Pulling away from her mouth he asked the silent question to which she nodded and he undid her jeans slowly. Michael put his hand in her jeans and cupped his hand over her panties. 

Maria arched her bottom half off the bed, wanting him to feel more of her. When she felt Michael push her panties to one side, she pulled his head up and captured his lips for a hungry kiss and whimpered in pleasure when he started to stroke and tease her pulsating core. She was thrown into a place of pleasure she had never been before and hoped to never leave. She climaxed around his fingers and a strangled cry tore from her lips. Maria smiled and opened her eyes only to be greeted by the chocolate brown ones of her…well whatever Michael was to her. Right now she didn't care, right now she just wanted him to feel the pleasure that he had just given her. 

With the energy left in her body, she managed to flip them over so she now lay half on top of him. Maria ran her hands over his shirt clad chest and smiled when she saw his muscles twitch under her touch. Wriggling around a little on his stomach, she heard him groan then felt him harden. Grinning proudly in the knowledge that she could provoke such a reaction from him, she slid down his legs until she could reach the zipper of his pants and slowly pulled it down. She motioned for him to rise a little to which he compiled and pulled his pants down until they reached his ankles. Instead of going back to her original position, she laid down on his legs until her face was parallel to his manhood. 

Maria took a brief moment to glance at him and smiled when she saw that his breathing had shortened and that he was watching her intently. Turing back to the task that lay before her, she grabbed his throbbing manhood in her hands and gently started to caress it. Knowing that she needed to taste him, she covered his swollen flesh with her mouth and started to slowly move up and down. 

Michael knew that he wouldn't last very long and moaned when he felt himself hit the back of her throat. She was killing him and he loved every minute of it. He grabbed the back of her head, tangled his hand in her hair and brought her up for a passionate, bruising kiss before rolling them over. Pulling back, he sat up a bit and pulled his shirt off and watched, mesmerised as she did the same. He leaned closer and nipped at her lace-covered breasts as she played with the hairs on the back of his head. She was making the most erotic sounds and he never wanted her to stop. Maria pushed him back a little and he groaned from disappointment but then stopped when she started to pull off her pants. Touching her was one thing, but actually being able to see her, well that was something beyond words. She was beautiful. 

The way he was looking at her made her start to feel self-conscious so she attempted to cover herself up until he kissed her tenderly and mumbled a soft 'beautiful' into her mouth. Maria couldn't believe that this was the same Michael who was only a while ago breaking her heart. She felt him unclasp her bra and cup a breast in each hand. She loved the way his skin felt on hers. His touch was soft yet at times rough and couldn't imagine how she had lived without it for so long. Why had they waited so long to do this? 

Michael laid them back on the bed, him covering her body as he looked into her eyes. He slowly guided himself into her wet, heated centre and waited a moment for her to get used to him being inside her. Both smiled knowing that they were each others first and secretly hoped in the back of their minds, each others last. Michael knew when she was ready as she started to move her hips. He trust slowly into her to start, then sped up as he felt his release getting closer. He once again moved his hand between their sweat covered bodies and sought out her bundle of nerves so that when he climaxed, she would be right there along with him. 

Both felt their release hit at the same time and screamed each other's name in pleasure. As they came down from their high, Michael rolled them over so they were lying on their sides, him still within her. Maria felt him kiss her forehead as she lay on his chest and fell into a light sleep. When he heard her breathing even out he too decided to take a small nap before he had to leave. He didn't want to but knew he had to. Maria deserved better than him. He wrapped his hands around her middle wanting to live in the moment for as long as he possibly could. While slowly drifting into the land of dreams, the thought struck him that neither had bothered to remember to use a condom but dismissed it. He was an alien; there was no way he could get her pregnant. No way at all. 

*~*~*~*

As she became aware of the sunlight hitting her face, Maria moaned with a sense of satisfaction. Last night she had experienced something so true and pure with the man she loved and couldn't think of a time when she had been happier. With her eyes still closed, she stretched and groaned at the slight pain that coursed through her body not only from her muscles, but also from between her legs. With a happy sigh, she rolled over, slowly opening her eyes and prepared to greet her alien lover, but was shocked to see his side of the bed empty. 

Taking a deep breath and deciding not to panic, she rose from the bed, grabbed a top and some sweat pants and pulled them on hoping that Michael would still be in the house, just in a different part of it. She walked out of her room and headed down the stairs. "Michael?" she called out. On receiving no answer she sat on the last step as the realisation hit her—Michael had left; just like her father, he had left her. She didn't bother to wipe the tears away as they splashed over her cheeks. How could she have been so stupid as to believe it? While she cried, she didn't hear the soft knock at the front door and didn't notice that the person had entered. 

TBC…


	2. The one to help her through it

**_Chapter 2 (The one to help her through it)_**

"Maria?"

Maria looked up in hope but her face crumpled when she saw Alex in front of her. Alex kneeled down in front of his best friend and lifted her chin with his fingers so she would look at him in the eyes. "Maria sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked in a concerned tone. "Are you hurt?"  She nodded and Alex started to rake his eyes over her body. After seeing nothing that would look like she was physically hurt, he concluded that it was emotional and sighed as he sat next to her on the last step. "What did he do now?"

"He-he left me," she sobbed and Alex placed an arm around her shoulders, bringing her to his chest as he stroked her hair with his free arm. He kissed the top of her head and wished to god that what had obviously taken place the night before hadn't happened. He wasn't stupid. His best friend was sitting on the stairs wearing only a tank top and sweat pants and crying because her boyfriend had left her at this time of the morning. They had slept together and Michael had run. 

"Shhh, it's going to be okay," he said soothingly in her ear. Maria lifted her head and stared at Alex as understanding ran through her mind. Alex had worked it out. 

"I just…I just thought that after we… we made love that he would change you know?" she said softly. "I thought that he would stay. I thought that he loved me."

Alex just continued to hug her, not knowing what to say. All he wanted to do was kill Michael for all the pain he had caused Maria but knew that he couldn't leave her. His friend needed him and he would do anything to make sure that she would be okay. Getting an idea, he extracted his arms and stood. He reached out and took one of her hands in his and pulled her into a standing position. "Come on, you're going to get dressed and then we are going to the Crashdown."

Shaking her head, Maria pulled her hand away. "Are you kidding? What if Michael is there?" she asked angrily. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You are going to go to the Crashdown with me and if Michael is there then who cares." He knew that his next words would hurt her but she needed to hear them, she needed to get over him. "Michael left you Maria. He fucked you then left you. All you were to him was a good la--" he was cut off by Maria's hand as it connected with his cheek. 

"You bastard," she hissed. "Get out."

Alex turned his head back around to look at her. "No, you need to hear it Maria. Michael used you and after getting what he wanted he left. So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to stay here and mope, letting him know how much what happened affected you, or are you going to go out there, get on with your life and forget that Michael Guerin ever existed. What happened obviously hasn't affected him so why don't you show him that it didn't affect you either. What he's going to expect is for you to chase after him Maria. For you to follow him like the lost little puppy you were so close to becoming but what he needs to see is a Maria who doesn't give a shit, a Maria who is strong and independent and who could do so much better than some scum bag alien like him."

Looking at Alex in admiration and a little surprise, she let a small smile grace her features and brought her hand up to caress his cheek. "I'm sorry I slapped you," she whispered. "And you're right, Michael did leave me and treat me like I was some whore he could discard. I want to show him that I don't care, that I don't need him."

Alex sighed in relief, thanking the heavens that he finally had gotten through to her. "Well go up stairs and dress to kill. We have an alien to not care about." 

Maria laughed at Alex's weird way with words then hugged him tight.  "Thank you Alex. You're a great friend." 

He smiled into her neck. "No worries babe, now go and get changed. I'm starving." He smiled to himself proudly as Maria giggled while running upstairs. He had gotten her to laugh and brought her out of the funk that could have possibly consumed her for god knows how long. 

*~*~*~*

"I can't do this Alex, he's in there."

Alex sighed and held her hand tighter as he started to pull her into the Crashdown. "You can and you will," he said. "Maria he needs to see that you don't care. Look, you never know, maybe he'll even come over and apologise for being the ass he is and want to be with you again. But you'll never know unless you go back in."

Maria glanced inside before taking a deep breath and opening the doors. "You're right. Maybe he just got scared or something." Alex nodded as he followed her and they sat in a corner booth. Maria turned to look in Michael's direction as he sat with Isabel and Max. She saw him look up at her then turn his head away as if what had happened the night before was just a figment of her imagination. "Or maybe he is just an ass."

Taking her hand in his, Alex looked at her with concern. "Don't let him get to you. You're Maria Deluca, you're strong, Teflon even. Just remember that okay."

"Teflon, right, I'm Teflon," she said, taking a breath then smiling. "I can do this. I don't need Michael Guerin to make me happy, I don't need any man." Alex faked a pained look as he clutched at his heart and Maria giggled. "Oh Alex, you my friend are the only exception." Alex smiled proudly then broke into laughter along with Maria as a waitress came and took their order. 

*~*~*~*

Isabel watched the two in the corner with interest. They were sitting way to close for her taste and it seemed like they were holding hands. She could hear Michael let out a small growl when the two started laughing and rolled her eyes. "Michael, just go over there for goodness sake. You've been staring at her since she walked in. I thought you two were together anyway. The least you could do is say hello to your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend anymore," he answered gruffly as he tore his eyes away from the giggling pair. "We broke up." 

"Mmm, maybe it's for the best anyway," Max commented. "The last thing we need right now are any more distractions and we can get things back on track. Just the three of us." He looked up when the door chimed to see Kyle walk in with Tess and head over to Alex and Maria's booth. "Ahh, four of us I mean." 

Making her way over to the table, Liz pulled out her note pad. "What can I get you?" she asked, not looking at them. 

"Just three cherry cokes," Isabel told her while once again glancing over at the now full booth in the corner. Liz nodded and headed off towards the drink dispenser. 

Soon after, Max too stood up. "I'm going to talk to Liz," he said and left.

Isabel rolled her eyes and wiggled in her seat. "So much for not having any distractions," she mumbled to herself.

*~*~*~*

"Kyle, Tess," Alex greeted the two as they sat in the booth. 

Maria looked at Tess with caution and the blue-eyed blond noticed it. She sighed and took a deep breath. All she had wanted to do was fit in but so far it had been difficult and that was mainly due to Liz. Liz hated her and because of that she had found it hard to connect with anyone. For a while she thought that she could become friends with Isabel but Max put a stop to that. He warned the princess away from her and she was left with no one. Kyle so far had been the only one who was even slightly friendly with her and Alex never seemed to have a problem, but she hoped that by coming to the Crashdown and talking to Maria, that maybe she could make another friend. So far from her time in Roswell, Maria had been the only one she hadn't really had a chance to talk to and today she was going to rectify that. Well, hopefully anyway.

"I know that you must not like me very much at the moment," she said, looking at Maria who was listening intently and nodded. "But you must believe that I never meant for this to happen. I never meant for anyone to be unhappy. I grew up thinking that Max was my mate, that he and I would see each other and fall in love again. It's all I have ever known and thought. What Necado didn't count on was you guys. You all entered their group and became a part of it, a part of something that I was never welcome to and I was jealous so I tried to destroy that but after seeing what affect it has had, I regret ever coming here. But I am here and there is nothing much I can do about it and so I hope that you will at least give me a chance. I don't know many people in Roswell and the ones I do, haven't been so friendly."

Tess sighed and looked at the tablecloth. This had been harder than she thought. She didn't know why she wanted Maria's friendship so badly. Maybe it was because there was no way she and Liz could become friends, and the fact that Isabel had made out as if she had to be Tess's friend because they were aliens. Maria was the only one who didn't need to be her friend, the only one who didn't completely hate her as far as she knew. She looked up at the blond. "I would like at least one girlfriend in this town." 

Biting her lip, Maria watched Tess's face for any hint of being insincere but found none so she smiled. "I suppose that I haven't really gotten to know you well enough to hate you yet so I would love to give the whole friends thing a try." She watched as Tess's face lit up. "But the second you start going all 'Destiny is all I live for' on us..." she trailed off playfully and Tess laughed. "Don't worry babe, you have at least one girlfriend." She then nudged at Alex's shoulder. "Two if you count him, right Alex?"

Alex nodded with a smile then narrowed his eyes when what she had said finally got through to him. "Hey!" Alex cried. "Just friend will be fine thank you," he said, throwing a glare at Maria who was now giggling along with Tess. "There is no 'girl' in front of it." 

"You sure about that Whitman?" Kyle remarked from beside Tess. Alex directed his glare towards the footballer and Kyle held his hands up in moke surrender. "Hey man only kidding," he laughed but then suddenly started to look serious. "Hey can we talk?" 

Alex nodded a little hesitantly, stood and followed Kyle outside to where he now stood. "What can I do for you?" he said.

"How do you deal with it?" Kyle asked. "You know, the alien thing?"

Shrugging, Alex pushed his hands into his pocket. "I don't know. I still am trying to get over the fact that aliens really do exist in Roswell and god knows where else. You just got to take it one day at a time I guess," he said and Kyle nodded. "So how is having one living at your house like?"

"Horrible," Kyle said, suddenly starting to pace. "She leaves her stockings and girly things lying around everywhere, she has taken over my room and not only that, but she keeps using her," he stopped and looked around before whispering, "powers all the time. She made the wall pink last night. It freaks me out." He paused for a moment but then softly admitted, "But it's good to have a female around the house again I guess.  She likes to clean which I'll never understand but the house looks better than it ever has. She even cooked dinner last night. First meal I've had that wasn't microwaveable in a long time. Yeah, so I guess I can't really complain huh?"

Alex shook his head. "Nah, I guess not. Anyway, she doesn't seem that bad now though, she even got Maria laughing," he said pointing into the café.

"Yeah what's up with that?" Kyle asked. "Maria looked like death when we walked in. Tess mentioned that something happened between her and Guerin though."

"She just had a really bad night, but don't bring it up okay? I just spent all morning trying to calm her down from it." 

Kyle nodded then actually took the time to look at the man standing next to him. For so long Alex had just been the geek who hung out with girls to him but now, after talking to him it was different. "Hey man um…look I'm sorry for ragging on you all these years. Won't happen again," he said quietly and Alex looked shocked. Kyle smiled. "Hey if Tess can make a new friend, why can't I?"

Alex laughed and nodded. "Apology accepted, now let's go see what they're laughing at." 

TBC…


	3. The comment that made her think

Chapter 3 (The comment that made her think) 

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**_2 months later_**

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"Have you noticed how quiet Maria has gotten?" Tess asked Kyle as they ate their lunch at the Crashdown. Since that day two months ago, Maria, Alex, Kyle and herself had formed a close friendship and it made her happy. Befriending Maria had been the best thing she had ever done. Kyle thought the same with Alex. Those two had hung out considerably since the talk they had outside, both of which still wouldn't tell the girls what it was about though. But they had become great friends and Kyle actually had all the other football players talk to Alex too, and with the help of a make over from herself and Maria, Alex had actually become quite the stud at school. 

Kyle nodded. "Yeah but Alex said it was nothing to worry about. She'd tell us if there was something wrong anyway," he said, munching on his burger. He watched as Isabel and Max entered the Crashdown. "You noticed how they," he said pointing at the two now joined by Liz, "hardly talk to us anymore?"

"I think it's because of me, and maybe Maria." Tess said, then, as an after thought, "and possibly you." Kyle replied with a muffled indignant 'hey' and Tess giggled. "No I mean think about it. They don't like me for obvious reasons and I'm okay with that, Max hates you and you're okay with it," she said and Kyle nodded. He could care less if Max hated him, "and well, Michael can hardly stand to be in the same room as Maria so…" she trailed off. 

"You think that's why Maria is so quiet?" Kyle asked with a mouth full of food and Tess glared at him.

"For future reference Kyle," she said sweetly before yelling, "Finish before you speak." Kyle rolled his eyes and Tess sighed. She had been trying to no avail to get Kyle to learn table manners but none of them had managed to stick yet. She shook her head. "I don't get what you mean anyway. What do they have to do with anything?"

Swallowing before he spoke, he motioned towards the three. "Well didn't they all used to be close to Alex and Maria? I get the feeling that Alex really doesn't care that they haven't spoken but what about Maria? She's probably sad or whatever that they haven't really been speaking to her."

Tess thought about what he had said then nodded. "It would explain a few things," she mused aloud and before she could continue, Isabel and Liz had walked over and sat in front of them.

"What are you two talking about?" Liz asked. 

Tess was about to tell her it was none of her business when Kyle opened his mouth first. "We were just discussing how quiet Maria has gotten lately." Tess threw a glare at him and Isabel shrugged.

"She's probably still pining over Michael or something," she said in a dismissive tone. "I don't care anyway."

Looking disdainfully at the girl, Kyle narrowed his eyes at her. "How, after everything she has done for you, can you still not like Maria? What has she done to you?" he asked then left, telling Tess he'd see her at home. 

Once he had left the Crashdown, Isabel turned to the two girls. "Well that was rude."

Tess rolled her eyes at the ice princess. "He has a point you know," she mumbled but Isabel didn't hear, instead finding her nails more interesting.

However Liz did hear her comment. "Why do you care so much about Maria anyway?"

Snapping her head to the side, Tess looked at Liz then shook her head. "Because she's my friend, but I think what you really need to ask yourself Liz, is why don't you care?" 

Liz grabbed Isabel and left the table in a huff. Max walked up behind them and asked Liz what was wrong. After telling him, Max asked, "Well why haven't you and Maria spoken lately?"

"Well because she has been spending so much time with Tess. Tess stole Maria away from me and Maria doesn't seem to mind so why should I talk to her?" Liz said angrily. 

Max sighed, even though Liz was angry, he knew that she did really miss Maria's friendship. "Because you're her friend Liz, her best friend actually and you need her. Don't let the fact that her and Tess are friends get in the way of your friendship."

Mulling over her boyfriend's words, she nodded. "Yeah you're right. Maybe I'll go and see her later." Max kissed her on the forehead and let her go back to work while he rejoined Isabel at their booth. 

*~*~*~*

"So we're going to Las Cruses in two weeks to play there and…" 

Maria tuned Alex out as he went on about a gig his band had gotten earlier that day. For the past week she hadn't really been feeling that well and wanted nothing more than to just sleep. 

"…Maria are you okay?" Alex asked and Maria shook her head. He noticed how pale she had gotten and felt her forehead. "You look pale but don't have a fever, how do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to be sick, that and very tired," she said as she yawned. Alex put his guitar on the ground beside her bed, lay down and patted his chest. Maria smiled and leaned her body down until it rested beside him with her head on his chest. She sighed as she made herself comfortable before falling asleep as Alex stroked her hair softly. 

Alex looked down at his friend in worry. Lately she had gotten very quiet and even Kyle had noticed it, but both had concluded that it was because Maria was missing her friendship with the others since they had not been talking to her. He made a mental note to talk to her when she woke and too felt himself start to fall asleep.

*~*~*~*

Michael watched as the two talked then lay down on the bed, her on his chest much like the way she had laid on his all those nights ago. Jealousy ran through him when he saw Alex stroke and play with her hair. He should be the only one to do it. He then scolded himself for thinking that way. Maria was no longer his, he gave that right up a long time ago, and anyway, her and Alex were only friends right? He nodded to himself. 'Yeah, just friends.'

He glanced at the two sleeping forms again before finally heading off. He didn't know what made him want to go to her window in the first place. He just had an overwhelming urge to see her. He shook his head as he entered his apartment. He had to let it go, he had to let her go. She'd be safer that way.

*~*~*~* The next day 

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Maria woke suddenly, covered her mouth than ran to the bathroom, slamming the door and awaking Alex who was in the middle of a nice dream. "Maria?" he called out. He then grimaced when he heard her throwing up. He stood and rubbed his face as he walked towards the door. He knocked, "Maria?" He listened as she threw up again. "Maria I'm going to get you something to drink and one of those tablet thingy's your mom has okay?" When he received a mumbled 'okay' he left to go downstairs. 

Inside the bathroom, Maria stood and flushed the toilet wondering why she was feeling so sick. Now was not the best time. She had work and school assignments to do and couldn't afford to get sick. She washed her face and glanced at herself in the mirror, wincing at her pale appearance. Shaking her head, she walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. Lying on the bed, she waited for Alex to get back. Hopefully whatever she had was only one of those 24-hour things. She rolled over and for some reason an image of Michael and herself fluttered into her mind. The way he called her beautiful as he kissed her. She wondered if he still felt that way, if he even thought about her. 

She sighed and closed her eyes. Thinking about him was a bad idea. Every time she did she ended up crying. She was brought out of her thoughts when Alex entered the room and she smiled gratefully as he handed her a glass of ginger ale. 

"There," he said. "That should help." 

*~*~*~* Later that day 

****

"Maria I really don't think you should be working," Alex said, concerned when Maria brought him, Kyle and Tess their food. 

"I told you I feel fine, it must have been a stress thing or something," she told him but he looked unconvinced. "Alex, I'm fine." 

Alex nodded and picked up a fry. "Fine but if you start to feel sick again, tell me okay?" 

Maria nodded. "I promise," she said with a smile and suddenly Kyle laughed. They all turned to look at him in confusion.

"Have you ever realised how the antenna wobble every time she nods? It's funny." Tess and Alex rolled their eyes at him while Maria put her hands on her hips.

"Well I'm so glad that I have become some sort of amusement for you Kyle," she snapped. "Shall I go around nodding all the time so you can laugh at me some more? Huh? Should I?" she yelled as she flung her arms around.

Kyle was taken aback by her tone, as were Tess and Alex. Why was she getting so upset? "Is it that time of the month Maria?" Kyle asked.

Her head snapped up to look at him and she frowned. "Enjoy your meal," she mumbled before racing off into the back room. She opened her locker and pulled out her mini calendar and started counting the days from her last period, her last period that happened 2 months ago. She looked at herself in the mirror and whispered, "Oh no."

"Maria what the hell is a matter with you?" Alex asked as he barged into the back then stopped suddenly as he saw Maria's face pale once again. "Damn it girly, I knew you should have stayed at home. Come on," he said grabbing her hand. When she didn't budge Alex turned and looked at her. "What is it Maria, we need to get you home."

"Alex, I'm late," she whispered.

Alex furrowed his brows. "For what?"

Maria turned her tear filled eyes towards him and didn't bother to wipe the one away that had fallen. Alex looked at his friend then his eyes caught a glimpse of the calendar than lay in her right hand. "Well shit," he said, as he finally understood what she had meant. Maria started to cry and he pulled her into his arms for a bone-crushing hug. "Shhh," he said, trying to comfort her. 

Shaking her head, she mumbled into his chest, "Will you come with me to get a pregnancy test tonight? We'll need to go a few towns over so no one will know." 

Alex nodded. "Of course I will. Don't worry Maria, It'll all be okay, I promise," he said and kissed the crown of her head. "It'll all be okay." Maria tried to hold the sobs in but it became harder and harder so she let them come. Alex tightened his hold on her and felt his eyes start to water. He couldn't believe that this was happening to his friend, to his Maria. She didn't deserve this. His heart clenched as she let out another sob into the crook of his neck. He made a promise to himself then and there to always be there for Maria, no matter what happened. If there were anyone she could count on, it would be him, no matter what.

TBC…


	4. The test that changed her life

**_Chapter 4 (The test that changed her life)_**

****

****

The ticking of the clock was the only sound that could be heard in the small upstairs bathroom. Maria sat on the floor, her eyes trained on a certain spot of the wall while holding tightly onto Alex's hand. 

He felt her squeeze his hand again and knew that she must be scared to death. Five minutes, the test said five minutes and Alex marvelled at the way Maria had been able to hold it together. Since the breakdown in the backroom of the Crashdown, she had been quiet but hadn't cried. He himself was terrified and he wasn't even the one pregnant. Not that he could be but still. He turned to see her still staring at the wall.

"If it turns out that you are," he said quietly, "I will do anything that I can to help you. You won't be in his alone, ever," he said. "I'll be unky Alex."

Maria smiled faintly and he hugged her. "I won't leave you Maria. I'll always be here."

She nodded. "Thank you Alex, thank you for being there for me when I needed someone, thank you for being such a great friend." Alex smiled and rubbed her back. They stayed that way for a minute then jumped as the timer went off. Alex grabbed it and turned it off then sat back against the wall. 

"It's time," he stated and she nodded but still didn't move to get it. "Do you want me to look at it?" he asked and she again nodded. He stood and grabbed the stick off the sink. Looking at it he asked, "What do two blue lines mean?" He watched as her face crumpled and she started to cry. As she buried her face in her hands, he sat back on the floor and brought her body to his, rocking her slowly. "I guess that means I'm going to be an Uncle," he said as Maria held onto him for dear life. His heart broke when she let out a long-suffering wail. He didn't know what to say that would comfort her so he settled for just rocking her, hoping that she'd eventually calm down or fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion. 

An hour later Alex held her in his arms as they lay on her bed. He'd managed to convince her to move from her position on the cold hard floor of the bathroom into the nice warm confines of her bed. "Maria?" he asked softly seeing if she was still awake and hadn't drifted off. 

"Yeah," she replied weakly. 

Alex sighed, he didn't want to have to bring it up but he needed to. "Maria you have to tell Amy." He felt Maria still from beneath him then pull away until she was sitting upright in the bed, leaning on the headboard. 

"She'll kill me," she said in a broken voice and Alex slung an arm over her shoulders. He hated seeing her so weak and broken. Usually she was the strong one holding them all together. He once again damned Michael Guerin for doing this to her. 

"Maybe she won't. You won't know until you tell her."

Maria raised her eyebrow at him. "If your 17-year-old daughter was pregnant, what would you do?"

Thinking it over, he sighed. "Yeah I'd probably kill her."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Thanks Alex, really," she said sarcastically. "The least you could have done was lie to me."

Alex shook his head but both stilled when they heard the front door slam and Amy call out Maria's name. "It's now or never," he told her and she nodded. They left the room and headed downstairs.

Placing her bags on the table, Amy smiled. "You'll never guess who I bumped into today. Joan Harland. I haven't seen her in years. She told me…" she trailed off upon seeing the look on her daughters face. "Maria?"

"Mom, could you sit please?" she asked and Amy sat down, not at all liking the seriousness of Maria's voice. "Mom I have to tell you something," Maria told her as her and Alex joined her at the table.

"What is it?" Amy asked getting worried. She looked towards Alex who had his eyes set on the table. 

Taking a deep breath, Maria faced the woman who had given her everything she could ask for. "I won't beat around the bush on this and I only found out for myself an hour or so ago." Maria sighed and closed her eyes. "Mom I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Amy started to laugh then caught the look that Maria gave Alex. "Oh god," she whispered as she brought her hand to her mouth. "You're telling me the truth aren't you?"

Nodding, Maria stood and started to pace the small kitchen. "I'm so sorry Mom," she said, tears sliding down her face. "I'm so sorry for everything. I know that you wanted more for me, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a disappointment," she whispered with a strangled cry. 

Amy felt the tears start to rise at Maria's statement but blinked them away. "You're right," she said and Maria started to cry harder. "I did want more for you. I had hoped that you would never have to endure what I did but now that's not possible," she said, then stood and walked over to her daughter. She grasped Maria's upper arms and made her look at her. "But you could never, and I mean never be a disappointment. I love you with all my heart, you are my daughter and I love you." She enveloped Maria in a hug to which Maria held onto her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Mom," she whispered and Amy stroked her hair lightly.

"Shhh, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. I take it that you want to keep it?" she asked and Maria nodded. Amy sighed. "Maria, who's the father?" Maria didn't answer so Amy looked towards Alex.

"Michael," was all he said and Amy seethed. She knew that boy would be trouble. She hugged Maria tighter and kissed her forehead. Maria had told her a few months ago that they had broken up so she knew that he probably wouldn't be around.

"Don't worry baby, I'm here for you okay. You won't be in this alone," she promised. She wasn't going to be like her mother who had thrown her out. She was going to take care of her daughter and grandchild. 

Maria smiled through her tears and pulled back. "Thank you." Amy smiled too and the two hugged once more. Alex glanced up from the table and sighed in relief that Amy had taken the news so well. 

"You think I could get in on this action?" he asked and the two women laughed, opening their arms for him to join. Amy lifted her head and looked into Alex's eyes. She mouthed a 'Thank you' and Alex nodded. He knew that she was thanking him for being there for Maria. 

After a few minutes the three pulled apart and Maria wiped her eyes. Amy licked her lips them sat them all at the table. "Maria, I have a suggestion to make and I want you to hear me out." Maria nodded and listened to what Amy had to say. "Sweetie, I think that maybe it would be better for you to go to Europe to live with your Aunt Kayla until the baby is born." Maria was about to object when Amy continued. "It's not that I don't want you here baby because I do, it's just that being in a small town, it's going to be hard on you, not only the people but with school as well and since Aunt Kayla is a teacher, she could home school you and then, when the baby is born, you can come back. Now I'll visit you regularly and I'll be there when my grandchild is born but I really do think that it's for the best." 

Maria thought about what Amy had suggested and realised that it might just be the best thing. "I think you're right Mom, it might be for the best."

"What? Maria you can't leave," Alex said loudly. He didn't want Maria to move to another country. 

"Alex I have to, it makes sense," she said and gave Alex a pleading look. She needed him to understand. 

"Fine then I'm coming with you," he stated and Maria shook her head.

"No Alex, you will stay here and you can visit me when Mom does. Alex I need this." Alex finally nodded. He knew that she would probably be better off somewhere other than Roswell but told her that he'd visit her all the time. 

Amy stood and started to walk out of the kitchen. "I'll go and ring her now to see if it's okay." Maria nodded and Amy left the room, shut the door, then leant on it holding her hand up to her mouth and letting the tears fall. She couldn't believe that her baby girl was pregnant. She wiped the tears away and tried to compose herself. She had to be strong for her daughter. She had to be everything she wished her own mother was.

Back in the kitchen Alex asked her if she was going to tell the others. "Yeah, they need to know," she said. "Could you ring them all and tell them that we need to have a meeting tomorrow afternoon?" Alex nodded and Amy walked back into the room.

"Kayla said she would be happy to have you and that she would set everything up for us. She's going to find out when a flight tomorrow night leaves and she'll ring. She said that she's excited to see you and will do everything she can to make sure you feel comfortable there and she'll help you with the pregnancy and to get your high school diploma at home." Maria nodded and then looked at Alex. 

"Alex could you go and ring them, I need to spend some time with Mom." Alex smiled, stood, kissed her on the forehead then left, but not before making her promise to call him later. Both women watched as he left then Amy sat. 

Maria opened her mouth to once again apologise when Amy lifted her hand to silence her. "Don't apologise baby. You made a mistake but I forgave you. I love you Maria, you're my daughter and I love you. I also love that child you are carrying. Nothing you do could make me hate you so don't ever think that okay? Now how about we go into the lounge room, whack in 'Steel Magnolias' and cry in front of the TV with a huge bowl of popcorn?" 

Maria laughed. "Thank you Mom," she said then got up to hug her. 

Kissing her cheek, Amy pushed her away. "You go put the video in while I make the popcorn." Maria laughed and headed out to find the video while Amy rustled through the cabinet for the popcorn. She didn't want to send her daughter away but knew that being a pregnant teen in a small town would break her. She was doing what she thought was best, and just prayed that Maria would be strong enough to handle everything. Amy knew her daughter was strong but didn't know how much more she could handle. After all the crap that Michael had put her through and now this well…she was surprised that Maria hadn't completely broken down yet.

Thinking of Michael Guerin made Amy fume. That boy would be lucky to see his 18th birthday when she got a hold of him. He did this to her daughter, and he was going to pay. Maria came back into the kitchen and watched as her mother tore open the popcorn packet with anger.

"Mom? You okay?" she asked.

"I'm going to kill Michael Guerin, I hope that you know that."

Maria sighed. "No Mom, you won't," she said and Amy turned to face her. "Michael doesn't even know and as far as I am concerned he never will. Mom if you go around there and yell at him he'll know." 

Pursing her lips together, Amy shook her head. "Maria he is the father, he should know." 

"Alex and I are going to tell everyone tomorrow and depending on his initial reaction, then I will decide whether or not to tell him. Anyway, he's a 17-year-old boy. He's not going to want to be a father," she said dejectedly. Amy's features softened and she hugged Maria to her.

"Alright, I won't kill him…yet," she said. "But even if he won't be there for you or your child, you know that both Alex and I will be okay?" Maria nodded. "You'll always have me Maria. Always," she promised then let Maria go. "Now let's go watch the movie." The two sat on the couch and watched the first scene while eating. "You know," Amy started, "I'll never understand why she wanted to cut all her hair off. It was so long and beautiful."

Maria nodded. "I know. I wish my hair was long. What do you think about extensions?" she asked while grabbing more popcorn and watching as Dolly Parton graced the screen with Julia Roberts. The two sat and watched the movie, temporarily forgetting the problems and heartache from before. Tonight was for them and neither wanted to waste any minute of it. 

TBC…


	5. The reaction she received

**_Chapter 5 (The reaction she received)_**

****

****

"Does anyone know why we're here?" Max asked, taking a seat. He glanced around the room waiting for an answer but everyone shook their heads. 

Liz placed another seat above one of the tables. "Well they're just lucky my Dad wanted me to close early for inventory. Do you think it's serious? Alex sounded sort of …I don't know, weird."

"I hope they get here soon, I have a date," Isabel announced. They all turned when they heard the bell on the door chime and watched as Maria and Alex entered holding hands. 

Michael's jaw tightened when he saw them walk in. He knew that he shouldn't be jealous; after all, they were only friends but still, it didn't mean he had to like it. 

Looking around the room at all her friends, Maria started to feel nervous and squeezed Alex's hand. Alex glanced down at her and smiled, silently telling her that it would be okay. She nodded and they both took a seat. 

"So why are we here?" Isabel asked, not at all liking the way Alex was sitting so close to Maria. Shouldn't he still be pining over her? "I have things to do you know," she continued in her typical Ice Princess fashion.

Maria took a deep breath. "Well, I called you all here this afternoon because I have two things that I need you all to know."

"And they are…" Isabel said using her hands in a rolling motion to hurry it up. Alex rolled his eyes. Isabel could really be annoying sometimes.

"Umm, well you see the thing is…umm…" Maria started but the words wouldn't come out. She knew that she needed to tell them but was worried about how they would react. Alex told her that they would all probably be shocked but would be happy for her because they were her friends. Somehow she just knew that Alex had only said that to make her feel better. She wasn't naïve; she knew they wouldn't take her news to well.

"Come on Maria, spit it out we're all in suspense here," Kyle said practically bouncing in his seat. 

"I'm pregnant," she finally blurted out. The room went silent as everyone processed the words she had spoken. 

Suddenly Max stood, walked over to Michael and hit him upside the head. "How could you be so f-ucking stupid?" he yelled angrily. "What did I tell you about urges Michael? Was keeping it in your pants really that difficult?"

Michael jumped up in his seat. "F-uck off Max. This isn't my fault. She was the one who wanted it, she was the one who didn't say anything about protection, she was the one--"

"It takes two you know Michael," Tess yelled, fed up with Michael putting all the blame on Maria. "She didn't make her own sperm, and you could have mentioned protection. You should have been more careful, you could have said no!" she yelled.

"Oh yeah right," he said turning to face Tess, "it was all my fault." He then turned and stalked over to Maria. "You did this on purpose didn't you?" he hissed. "You wanted to get pregnant so that I'd stay with you, well guess what? It's not going to happen. I don't love you and I don't want you or a kid so your little plan failed."

"You b-itch," Isabel yelled standing next to Michael. "How could you do that to him? How could you be that selfish?"

Maria sat numbly throughout all of their accusations. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did they really think that low of her? 

Liz placed an arm on Max's shoulder to calm him down. "Maria," Liz started as she sat next to her friend. "Sweetie, first of all I want to know how you feel?"

"I feel okay," Maria said softly. She was still trying to work through Michael's accusations and with Isabel yelling at her, it wasn't easy. 

Nodding, Liz placed her hand in Maria's and sighed. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to get rid of it?" Maria snatched her hand back as if she had been burnt. Liz wanted her to abort her baby? Liz saw the change in Maria and knew that she wouldn't like what she had to say.

"I know what you're thinking but really Maria, have you thought about what this means, what this could do to not only you, but to Max, Michael and Isabel? You're carrying a hybrid. What if something happened to you and it brings the FBI back? Not only would they want the others, but they would want you and the baby too."

"Liz is right," Max chimed in and Alex rolled his eyes. Of course he would think that. "Maybe you should just get rid of it, look you won't even need to go to the doctors, I could--" the hand that had connected with his face cut him off. He glanced at Maria in horror.

Maria couldn't take it anymore. "There is no way in hell that I am going to let you kill my child," she growled out. She couldn't believe that they could even suggest a thing like that.

"Maria, think about it for a second please," Liz pleaded.

"Shut up Liz, this isn't about them it's about Maria and her baby so can it," Kyle told her finally deciding that it was time to speak up. "If she wants to keep the kid then it's her choice."

Liz shook her head. "I know it is, look…you took what I said the wrong way. I'm just trying to look at it from all angles here. This baby might hurt her and I don't know about you, but I don't want to lose her."

"And you think we do?" Tess yelled. "You have four aliens here Liz, if something happens I'm pretty sure one of us can do something about it. All you really care about it how this baby will affect you and Max. If the FBI comes then Max will leave Roswell and leave you. Your reasons for wanting her to get rid of it aren't selfless Liz so don't even try."

"If the FBI comes to Roswell, Tess," Liz hissed, "then they'll be here for you too you know."

Tess nodded. "Yeah I know but does it look like I care? It's not like we haven't evaded the FBI before and plus, Nacedo is there bringing them down. Maria will be perfectly safe right here with us to help her through it."

"Oh and what if something happens to Nacedo huh? What if he can't bring them down? We don't even know how long an alien pregnancy lasts. What if the gestation period is only say…a month? How in the hell do you propose we hide something like that?"

Maria started shaking and Alex stood up, not wanting to hear any more of this. Maria looked like she was on the brink of a breakdown and it couldn't be good for the baby. "None of you have to worry about being caught," he said then looked directly at Michael, "or being a father," 

"Oh yeah?" Michael scoffed. "And why is that?"

"You don't have to worry because you're not the father," he watched as confusion ran over everyone's faces, "I am." He glanced down at Maria with pleading eyes hoping that she'd just go along with it. He couldn't let her go through any of this. She didn't deserve it. The baby didn't deserve it. Maria sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. She knew what Alex was doing and nodded slightly for him to just go along with it. It was now obvious that Michael didn't want to be a father so she wouldn't make him. 

The room went silent except for a few gasps of shock. No one saw that coming. Michael looked between Maria and Alex and saw red. Walking up to the lanky guitarist, he swung and punched him in the face. "You f-ucking bastard," he yelled and continued to swing. He managed to get another punch in the face and gut before Max and Kyle pulled him off. 

Maria ran over to where Alex lay on the ground. "Oh Alex," she whispered. "Alex, are you okay?"

Nodding, Alex stood slowly and wiped at the blood that had started to pour out of his nose. "Yeah I'll be fine," he said glaring at Michael who was still trying to get out of Max and Kyle's hold. 

Michael watched as Maria continued to look over Alex's cuts and bruises. "You slut," he spat out and Maria stilled her actions, the words cutting deep. She turned and looked him in the eye and he suddenly regretted calling her that. There was something in her eye that made him want to apologise for everything he had said, but he couldn't. 

Isabel noticed how hurt Maria had been by that statement and laughed bitterly. "What did you expect Maria? Did you actually think that you could come here, unload that bit of information and we'd be okay with it? Think again. You slept with Alex and got pregnant, what did you want us to do about it? It's your problem so you deal with it. If it was alien then yeah, even though we weren't happy, we would have dealt with it but it's not. You're on your own with this one." 

As tears started forming, Maria turned her gaze towards Liz, silently asking for her to be okay with this, for her to be the best friend she once was, for her to help. Liz glanced at Isabel then back to Maria, torn. Maria's baby was human therefore no threat, but still, what Isabel said made sense. Maria was stupid enough to get herself in this mess; maybe it was time for her to step away, to make Maria face up to things. If she needed help she had Tess, her new best friend. She shook her head and went to stand by Max. 

Maria pursed her lips together willing herself not to cry. How could Liz turn her back on her after everything they had been through? How could Liz choose them over a life long friendship? Had Max and her jealousy for Tess blinded her into thinking that she had made the right decision? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Fine, if Liz wasn't going to be there for her then it didn't matter anyway. She wasn't going to be in Roswell for much longer anyway.

"Maria, what was the second piece of news?" Tess asked softly. 

Blinking back the tears, Maria licked her lips. "Umm, I'm umm…leaving, tonight actually. My Mom and I thought it would be best if I went to live with my aunt in Europe until the baby is born then come back here and go to college. She's a teacher so she'll home school me." 

"What?" Tess and Kyle cried at the same time. "You can't leave."

Maria nodded. "I am, it's what's best for me right now."

"Good riddance," Michael said snidely as he stormed out of the Crashdown, slamming the front door in his wake. As he mounted his bike he stopped and closed his eyes trying to calm himself down. How could she do that to him? How could she sleep with Alex? Michael shook his head and glanced back at the Crashdown and watched as Alex put his arm around Maria. "I suppose it's all my fault," he whispered to himself. "I was the idiot who let her go." He sighed and started the engine. 

Back inside Maria closed her eyes and willed the headache to go away. "Are you going with her?" Liz finally asked after a moment of silence had hit.

Alex shook his head. "No I'm not. But I'll be visiting every chance that I get and when Amy goes up for the birth I'll be there as well." 

"Alex I thought you loved me?" Isabel said stepping forward. "How could you sleep with her?"

"Get over yourself Isabel," Alex hissed. "Not everything is about you okay? You didn't want me so I went elsewhere and why not Maria, huh? She's a better person than you could ever be."

Isabel huffed. "Fine, you know what? I don't really care anymore. You want her then you can have her. I'm out of here," she said then headed towards the door. "Max, are you coming?" she asked angrily. Max nodded and headed after her. He looked back at Maria but didn't know what to say. He shook his head and left the café after his sister. 

Maria turned towards Liz. "Liz…"

"I hope you have fun in Europe," she said quietly then walked through the break room door, but before going in she faced Maria once more. "Maria?" she said waiting for Maria to turn around. "Maria, take care of yourself and the baby." With that said she walked into the break room. Maria could feel the tears run down her cheeks as she faced Tess and Kyle. 

"I suppose you two hate me as well, huh?" she asked brokenly. 

Tess shook her head and stood, walking over to her friend, she enveloped Maria in a tight hug. "I could never hate you Maria."

"Me either," Kyle added behind Tess. "We're here for you and your baby and will do anything that we can." Alex smiled as he listened them. Who would have thought that Kyle and Tess would be the ones who would accept this? "I will say that I never thought of you two as being…well you know but I will say that the kid will be one hell of a singer."

He was rewarded with a small laugh from Maria and he smiled proudly. "When do you leave?" Tess asked quietly, still not believing that she was losing her best friend. 

"In an hour," Maria told her and stood. "I better head home now, Mom is waiting." Tess nodded and stood too.

"I would come with you but I hate goodbyes," she said as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I'll miss you so much so you had better get home quick, okay?"

Maria nodded. "I will and I'll miss you too babe."

Kyle walked up behind them. "Group hug," he announced and the two girls laughed as put his arms around them. Tess moved away and Kyle hugged Maria tightly to him. "I'll miss you sis."

Smiling, Maria glanced up at him. "I'll miss you too Buddha boy, and make sure our parents don't do something stupid and get married while I'm gone okay?" Kyle nodded and kissed her on the cheek as she pulled away from him. "I'm going to miss you guys but I'll be back here soon, and I'll call as soon as I get there."

"You better have or we'll come up there and yell at you," Tess joked through her tears. Maria laughed and waved as Alex led her through the doors. 

"That was harder than I thought, I can't believe they thought I could do such a thing." Maria cried as Alex helped her into the car. With one last wave at Kyle and Tess the two were off.

"Don't worry about them, okay? You still have your Mom, me, Kyle and Tess. In a round about way you still have Liz too. Even though she's a little…confused right now, you're still her best friend and she wouldn't completely turn her back on you. And don't worry about the others, you don't need them and all this worry can't be good for the baby so stop it." Maria nodded and Alex grabbed her hand in his. "I'll be a great uncle-slash-father to the baby."

Maria laughed. "I'm sure you will, and thank you for that by the way. I can't believe Michael acted that way, but then again I shouldn't have expected any thing more. I just thought that you know…that he'd be happy and want me back. Stupid, huh?"

Alex shook his head. "No it's not stupid, but like I said, you don't need him and your baby doesn't need him. At least now you know who your true friends are." Maria nodded. That was true. As they drove up the Deluca driveway, Amy walked out with a few of Maria's bags.

"Hey honey, how'd it go?" Maria shook her head and looked at her sadly. Amy pulled her in for a hug. "It's okay baby, you don't need them."

"As far as Michael knows, I'm the father," Alex told her and Amy looked at him in shock. "It's a long story and it's probably best not to relive that memory right now." Amy nodded but her eyes told Alex that they'd be discussing it later. "Tess and Kyle were accepting though."

"Really?" Amy asked but wasn't that surprised. She knew that out of everyone that those two would support Maria. They were good people. At that moment the taxi pulled up and the driver got out and started hauling the bags in the trunk. She tightened her grasp on Maria. "God I'm going to miss you so much, you call as soon as you arrive, you got me?" Maria nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too Mom," Maria said, wiping away a fallen tear. "But I'll be seeing both of you in a month right?" They nodded and she let her mother go and walked up to Alex, the man who had been there for her since the beginning. The only man she could count on. "Alex."

Alex grabbed her in a quick hug then pushed her away and toward the car. "Go, if you don't get in and leave now then I won't be able to let you go so get in the car." Maria nodded and opened the door, but before she got in she faced him with teary eyes. 

"I love you Alex."

He smiled and tried to hold back tears of his own. This was harder than he had imagined. All he wanted to do was drag her out of the cab and make her stay there in Roswell where he could keep an eye on her, but he knew he couldn't. "I love you too." 

Maria let out a sob, climbed in the cab and gave a small wave before driving off. Amy and Alex stayed rooted in their spots until the car became nothing but a speck. "I can't believe she's gone," Alex whispered. 

Amy brought the young man who she considered a son into her arms. "It's something she needed to do and we'll see her soon enough." Alex nodded and tried to compose himself. "Now why don't we go inside for a nice hot chocolate and you can tell me why you are now the father of my daughter's baby."

*~*~*~*

Michael stood behind a tree in the front yard of the house across from Maria's. As the cab sped off down the road he could feel his breath being knocked out of him. That was it. She was gone. Blinking away the tears, he pushed himself away from the tree and started to head back home. He acted like an a-ss and wished that he could take back everything he had said but had at least seven or eight months to try to come up with ways to make her to come back to him when she arrived back in Roswell. He could forgive her for sleeping with Alex in time. Maria was his, not Alex's and when she came back, he was going to make sure that she knew it. 

TBC…


	6. The decision she made

Chapter 6 (The decision she made) 

****

****

**_7 months later (Europe, France)_**

****

****

"Poussee!" screamed the nurse over Maria's wailing.

"I am pushing you incompetent woman, you try pushing a football out of something the size of a pea hole," Maria said though gritted teeth. Amy just gave the nurse an apologetic look but the nurse brushed it off. She had seen it many times before and much worse than this.

Alex sat next to the bed trying to extract his hand from Maria's tight grasp. He was sure that at least two of his fingers where broken and…oh there went another one. He hated when the contractions hit. 

"Poussee!" The nurse told her again and Maria shook her head.

"No, no this hurts too much," she said as she turned to look at her mother. "Mom, can't it just stay in a little longer?" she pleaded. 

Amy's heart almost broke at the tone Maria's voice had taken. She sounded like a scared little 7-year-old, and she wanted nothing more than to just pull Maria into her arms and rock her. "It'll be all over soon honey, you just have to push one more time okay.  Can you do that for me?"

Shaking his head, Alex tried more hurriedly to remove his hand. If she pushed now that would be all his fingers gone. Maria nodded and Alex grimaced, awaiting the inevitable pain. He screamed right along with Maria as she made her final push. Suddenly the only sound in the room was the sound of a baby's wail. 

"Vous avez un beau fils," the nurse said as she held the baby up for Maria to see. 

"I have a son," she said then smiled as tears of joy rolled down her face. "I have a son."

The nurse nodded then took the baby away for cleaning. Alex turned to Maria, the pain in his hand temporarily forgotten as he removed some of the plastered hair from her forehead. "Hey, how you feeling?"

Maria smiled. "Sore, but after seeing him…I feel so happy Alex. I have son," she said as more tears escaped. "I have a beautiful baby boy." 

"What are you going to call him?" Amy asked walking back over to her daughter. She had gone to watch the nurses clean up her grandson and couldn't keep the smile off her face. 

Shrugging, Maria closed her eyes. "I'm not sure, I'll have to really look at him first," she said with a yawn. 

The nurse saw Maria yawn and handed the baby to one of the other staff. "Allons recevoir vous pouvez tenir votre fils." 

****

Alex shook his head. "What did she just say?" he asked Amy. Even after being to France a few times he still hadn't gotten a hold of the language. Maria did though; she took to it straight away. 

Laughing, Amy led Alex outside so the nurses could take care of Maria. "She just wanted to get Maria cleaned up so she could hold her son. Alex you really must start to learn the language, it would be much easier." 

"Oui, vous devriez," Amy's sister Kayla said as she joined the two. She couldn't wait to see the baby and still couldn't believe that Maria would be leaving to go back to Roswell soon. She loved having her niece around and would be sad to see her go.

Alex groaned. "I have no idea what you said but you know what?" he asked, "I don't care, what I do care about right now, is the fact that Maria broke three of my fingers."

The two women started to laugh. "Oh Alex, come with me honey, we'll get you fixed up in no time," Kayla said and Alex smiled gratefully that she had spoken in English so he could understand. He nodded and stood up to follow her but before he left he made Amy promise to get him when they could see Maria. 

An hour later, all three were placed around Maria's room awaiting the arrival of the newborn. Maria sat up slightly when the nurses wheeled him in and a huge grin broke out on her face. "He's beautiful," she whispered as the nurse placed him in her arms.

"Just like his mother," Amy said with a smile. Maria let out a small laugh and counted ten fingers and ten toes. "They're tiny, aren't they?" 

Maria nodded. "I feel like I'm going to break him or something."

Shaking her head, Amy kissed the baby's forehead. "You won't break him sweetie." 

Alex walked over and sat on the bed next to her. "Well I think that Alex Junior is the best name so far, any objections?" he asked and before anyone could reply he added, "Good, great, glad it's all settled. Alex Junior it is."

"My baby will not be called Alex Junior," Maria laughed and Alex gave her a fake pout. "Even though it is a great name," Alex smiled proudly at that, "my son will have his own name."

"Got any ideas?" Kayla asked as she lightly touched the baby's head. 

Maria nodded. "Yeah, Brendan. Brendan Alexander Deluca." Alex looked at Maria in shock and she smiled. "He had to have your name in there somewhere. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there for me Alex." 

Alex slung an arm over her shoulders and blinked back the tears in his eyes. He then suddenly laughed and explained at Maria's confused look. "You know his initials spell BAD don't you?" Maria laughed and shook her head. 

Maria looked down at her son and held him to her chest. She couldn't believe that this little boy was her son; she just wished that Michael was there to enjoy the moment with her but knew that it would never come true. She shook her head clear of those thoughts and gasped softly as her son's eyes opened and revealed bright green orbs. "He has my eyes," she whispered and smiled. "Michael's hair and my eyes."

Amy pursed her lips together at the mention of Michael's name. Alex had managed to refrain her from going over and mutilating his body all those months ago but that still didn't mean she didn't want him dead. Amy sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Well, I certainly can't wait to get this little boy back to Roswell so I can show him off." Alex nodded and the two started to talk about what they would do as soon as they got back; where they would take him, whom they would show him too.

Maria however, sat back just gazing at her son. Did she really want to go back to Roswell? Back to where all those bad memories lay. Back to a man who didn't love her and didn't want to be a father? She shook her head. She could think about it later, right now she held her son in her hands and wanted to live in the moment for as long as she could. 

*~*~*~*

**_5 months later (New Mexico, Roswell)_**

****

****

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Tess asked as she filtered through the latest photographs that Maria had sent. "Aww, he's smiling in this one." She held up a photo of Brendan lying in his cot with a huge smile on his face. She glanced at another photo then looked at her boyfriend. "He doesn't really look like Alex does he?"

Kyle shook his head. He had realised that as well. He turned his gaze over towards the far booth in the café. "You know who he does look like don't you?" Tess nodded while placing the photos back in the envelope. 

"Yeah but Alex said the little Brendan was his," she shrugged. Just then Alex entered the Crashdown looking extremely depressed. "Hey Alex."

Alex nodded his greeting then sat with the couple. "Hey man what's up with the sad act?" Kyle asked. He hadn't seen Alex look so sad since Maria left.

"She's not coming back."

Tess blinked. "What? What do you mean she's not coming back? She has to, she promised."

"Well she's not," Alex said a little bitterly. "Apparently she likes France too much and doesn't think that Roswell is the best place for her or Brendan right now."

"You should have some sort of say though, I mean you are the kid's father." Kyle watched as Alex looked away at that. "Alex?"

Alex stood. "Sorry, I have to go see Amy and see how she's doing. I'll talk to you later." With that he left the booth, but on his way out he passed the pod squad's table where Isabel stopped him.

"Hey Alex, what's the matter? You look like s-hit."

He plastered a fake smile on his face. "Thanks a lot Isabel, really." He rolled his eyes and Isabel apologised but repeated her earlier question while Michael just glared at him. "Not that it's any of your business, but Maria has decided to stay in France."

"What do you mean, she's not coming back?" Liz asked as she placed Michael and Isabel's food in front of them. 

Alex shrugged. "I don't know, she just said that she liked France too much to leave. I hate it but there's not much I can do about it. Look I got to go," he said and walked out of the Crashdown. 

Michael watched Alex leave, not believing that he had heard right. Maria wasn't coming back? How was he going to get her back if she was staying in France? That wasn't part of the plan. He grabbed Liz's wrist, halting her from moving away. "I need your Dad to give me more shifts," he told her.

"I'll ask him for you," she said as she headed towards the back. Michael sat and started to play with his food. If she weren't going to come back to Roswell, then he'd have to go France. He just needed money first. 

*~*~*~*

**_1 year later (Europe, France)_**

Maria sat down on her bed exhausted. She hadn't realised how much work it took taking care of a baby. She was just thankful that her aunt had been there to help her and Alex was great when he visited. She glanced at her son who was sleeping soundly in his crib. At 17-months-old he was already a very loud baby, he woke up constantly in the night demanding food with his cries and then wouldn't go back to sleep. But even so, she wouldn't trade the feeling of being a mother for the world. She loved it. She loved him. 

She lay down on her bed and started to close her eyes. Maybe he'd be lenient on her and allow her a few hours of sleep. Just as she started to drift off she was suddenly awakened by a loud wail. "No chance of that," she muttered to herself as she stood and walked over to him. Leaning down, she picked him up and held him to her chest. 

"What's wrong honey?" she asked softly. "You can't be hungry because I just fed you and you're not wet or anything so what can it be?" she rubbed soothing circles on his back until he finally calmed down. "There you go sweetie, all better now. You just wanted Mommy, huh?" she asked with a smile and got a gurgle in response. She laughed and carried him over towards her bed and laid him down next to her.

She watched him as he simply looked around the room with his small eyes and flailed his arms and legs about. She shot up immediately when she saw a green bolt shoot from his tiny fingers and hit the picture on the far wall. "I did not just see that," she whispered to herself. "Oh please tell me I just didn't see that." Just as she said that, another bolt shot out from his hand and hit the same wall, leaving a black scorch mark. 

"Shit," she said as she lifted him. "Damn it, you not only inherited your father's hair but his powers as well." Maria shook her head. "I need Tess to teach you how to control these Bren. Or take them away until you're older." She sighed. "Looks like we're going back to Roswell after all."

TBC…


	7. The reason she returned

Chapter 7 (The reason she returned) 

****

****

"I still can't believe that you of all people Michael, gave up the chance to go home," Max said in wonder. 

Earlier that week, Tess had managed to translate the book and found out how to use the Granolith. They decided that this morning would be when they left and had everything ready but by the time they were in the Granolith with seven minutes to spare, Michael had announced that he couldn't leave. That he had to stay and try to find Maria. Maria was his home, not a planet out there that sent them to Earth all those years ago. 

Once he had declared that he was staying, it didn't take long for Tess to follow. She said that she wanted to stay on Earth because it was her home, Kyle was her home and she wanted to stay. He remembered turning towards Isabel who had a look of indecision on her face then finally decided to stay. She had met a man named Jesse Ramirez and had fallen in love. She didn't want to leave him. Max had felt relief when she said that. He was only going to leave if she left but now that she wasn't, he was free to stay and be with Liz. So all had vacated the chamber and watched as it soared into the sky. 

"Yeah, why did you stay anyway?" Alex asked snidely and Laurie shot him a warning look. 

A few months ago Michael had found out that Laurie's Grandfather was the human that he had gotten his DNA from, making them family, and Laurie decided that since she now had family that she didn't want to leave him so she moved from Arizona to New Mexico to be with him where she met Alex and instantly fell in love. Michael had not been happy about it and tried to break them up by telling Laurie about Maria and it worked until Alex told Laurie the truth. She was the only one besides him to know and just told Michael that she didn't care if Alex had a child with another woman. That she'd be with him anyway. Michael was pissed but there was nothing much he could do really so he learned to deal. But Alex was still not welcome in their apartment. 

"I have my reasons," Michael snapped back and Laurie turned her glare to him. 

"Could you two please stop your pissing contest for like five minutes? It's rather annoying," she said and Tess seconded her. The two had become great friends when Laurie had moved to Roswell. Tess still missed Maria greatly but it helped that she had Laurie to talk to and was thankful that Laurie wasn't too fond of Liz or Isabel. 

"Hey do you have those photo's that Maria sent?" Laurie asked her boyfriend. Maria sent them new photographs every six months and just sent Alex new ones. 

Alex nodded. "Yeah the little tyke is almost a year and a half old. He's gotten so big," he gushed as the girls took a peek at the pictures. 

"I need to go to the bathroom," Michael announced as he vacated the table. Still to this day he couldn't bring himself to even look at a photo. He didn't know what the kid looked like and wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Every time he saw it he'd remember that Maria had slept with Alex. But he knew that he'd have to eventually get over it when he went to get Maria and bring her back home. He almost had the money to do it too, just a few more months and he'd be set. He'd have enough for the return flight for him, Maria and the kid as well as enough money to stay for a few days. 

He returned to hear Liz comment on one of the photos. "He really is beautiful Alex, doesn't look like you though," she said, handing him the photo back. Since Maria had left, Liz and Isabel had tried to restore what had been lost that day when Maria made her announcement. They both knew that they should have been more supportive and less bitchy but neither could bring themselves to ring and apologise. They felt so bad at the things they had said to her and would rather live hoping that Maria had forgiven them then having Maria tell them that she didn't. 

"Yeah she's right," Jesse added. He found out about them being aliens when he saw Isabel fix a broken glass with a wave of her hand one day at her house. He was a little freaked when he found out but now that he had time to come to terms with it all, he was okay with it. He loved Isabel for who, not what, she was. 

Alex shrugged. "He looks more like Maria, so what?" he said taking the photos back, hoping that no one would bring up the fact that Brendan looked like Michael. 

"Didn't mean anything by it Alex; he has Maria's eyes that's for sure," she said and Isabel, Tess and Laurie agreed. 

"It's fine. Hey what's the time?" he asked Laurie who glanced at her watch.

"5:00 pm why?" 

Alex got out of his seat and walked over to the phone. "I got to call Maria, I can't remember what time it is over there so I'm hoping it's not to late…or early." He picked up the phone and dialled. "Hey Aunt Kayla…yeah I'm good, is Maria there…What do you mean she's gone…what…no she didn't…okay I'll talk to you soon," he said before hanging up. "That's weird.

"What is?" Tess asked, intrigued by his side of the conversation.

"Apparently Maria's left," he said with a shrug. "She left this morning and hopped on a plane. Aunt Kayla said that Maria told her that I already knew."

"So she's not in France anymore?" Michael asked worriedly. If she wasn't in France then where in the hell was she and how was he to find her?

Alex shook his head. "Nope, god damn it where is she?" he yelled, getting frustrated. "She should have f-ucking told me."

"Sorry Alex, it was a spur of the moment type of thing."

Everyone turned and gasped at the sight of Maria Deluca standing in the doorway. No one had heard the door chime when she entered. Tess stood and rushed over to the blond, hugging the life out of her. "Ease up there Tess I need to breathe," she laughed and Tess loosened her hold. 

"What happened to staying in France, huh?" Tess asked teasingly but before Maria could answer she was bombarded with hugs from Kyle. 

"Hello to you too Buddha Boy." 

Kyle let go of her and spied the baby capsule lying next to her legs. "Is that him?" he asked kneeling onto the ground. Maria nodded and bent down to gather her baby in her arms. "Can I hold him?" Maria smiled and placed Brendan in his arms carefully.

"Support his head," she said and watched as the smile Kyle wore grew. 

"Maria?" Alex asked with his hands on his hips. Maria turned to look at him with an apologetic face.

"Sorry I didn't call Alex but by the time I left it would have been too early to call here and I thought that I'd get here before your weekly call." She walked up to him and gave him a hug and Alex sighed, hugging her back. "I'm sorry," she mumbled in the crook of his neck. 

Alex nodded and rubbed her back. "It's okay, just don't do it again okay?" Maria gave a nod before pulling out of his arms and looking around the café. It hadn't changed much in the two years she had been in France. She turned and came face to face with Michael.

Michael felt as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him. Seeing her at the door, he thought that it was a figment of his imagination but then she spoke her beautiful, angelic voice. She was really here, right here in the Crashdown. He couldn't believe it. She had changed so much since he'd seen her last. Her hair was longer, just past her shoulders and coloured brown with a slight curl to it. She had more curves too; she wasn't as skinny as she had been before. Her body had filled out and it filled out well. Her breasts were also bigger he noticed but figured that it must have had something to do with having a kid. He'd read that somewhere, that woman's breasts grew bigger during pregnancy. She looked perfect, like a goddess. 

Before she could open her mouth, Brendan started to cry. "Oh god, what do I do? Maria?" Kyle yelled. "Maria how do I turn it off?" he asked frantically.

Maria laughed as she took Brendan off him and held him to her chest while patting his back to calm him down. "First of all Kyle, you can't just turn him off and secondly he's just not used to being around strangers." Brendan soon started to calm down but had grabbed at Maria's top for dear life. 

"So what are you doing back?" Tess asked as they all took a seat.

"I… umm…need to talk to you later okay?" she said nervously and Tess looked at her through questioning eyes but decided to wait until later to ask why. She then noticed Maria look strangely at Jesse and Laurie.

"Oh sorry babe, this is Jesse, he and Isabel are dating. He knows about the whole alien thing so it's cool," Maria nodded, a little confused, but figured that Tess would fill her in later. "And this is Laurie, Alex's girlfriend." 

"Now I've heard of you," Maria said with a smile while Alex blushed. "Alex has told me so much about you." 

Laurie raised an eyebrow and looked at Alex. "Oh have you now?" she returned her gaze at Maria. "And what exactly has he been saying?" 

Maria laughed and switched Brendan to lie on the other side of her chest. "Only good things I promise." Laurie smiled, happy with the answer and kissed Alex on the cheek. Maria turned towards Tess. "Can I talk to you in the back for a moment?" she asked and Tess nodded while standing. 

"You want me to watch Bren?" Alex asked.

Maria shook her head. "No ahh…I'll be fine." Alex nodded slowly but with his eyes told her they'd talk about why she was really back later. She nodded and headed after Tess. She could hear the others discuss reasons as to why she was back but had other things to worry about. 

"So what did you want to talk about?" Tess went and sat on the couch in the back room corner. 

Maria took a deep breath. "Okay, what I'm about to tell you may shock you but--" Tess interrupted her before she could go on.

"But Brendan isn't Alex's, he's Michael's." Maria's eyes widened and she nodded, wondering how Tess had worked it out. Tess sighed. "Kyle and I had suspicions about it the first time you sent photos but it wasn't until the second lot when we knew. Why didn't you tell us before?"

Maria shrugged. "You saw how Michael reacted when he initially thought Brendan was his and Alex was only trying to protect me and in order to stop Michael from ever finding out well…we just decided to keep it to ourselves. As far as I know only my Mom, Alex, Laurie and now you know."

"Laurie?" Tess asked, a little hurt that a girl Maria had never even met knew but she didn't. 

"I didn't tell Laurie, Alex did. He said that if he didn't then Laurie would have broken up with him so I let him tell her. Tess I am so sorry but we thought it was best. Forgive me?" she pouted, knowing that Tess couldn't resist. 

Tess tried to look away but resistance was futile. "Fine you're forgiven but no more secrets okay?" Maria nodded. "Good, so why are we in here?" Out of nowhere, Brendan suddenly awoke and shot out a green coloured blast at the couch that Tess had been sitting on causing Tess to scream and duck out of the way. 

"That's why," Maria said with a sigh. "My baby has developed powers and I need you to help me either get rid of them… or control them in some way."

TBC…


	8. The apologies that followed

Chapter 8 (The apologies that followed) 

"Why do you think she's back?" Max asked after a period of silence. Maria's return had left them all speechless. 

Alex shrugged. "I don't care why, all I care about is the fact that she's back." Kyle nodded and surprisingly so did Liz. Alex looked at her questioningly. Since Maria had left, he and Liz had stopped talking except for the occasional 'hello'. 

"I know you think that I hate Maria or something but I don't. I was as worried as you were the whole time she was gone. I may not have supported her when she needed me but that didn't mean that I didn't worry about her. She's my best friend and I plan to smooth things out with her soon. So like you, I am also glad that she is back."

Alex nodded. "Yeah well, don't expect forgiveness so quickly. She really needed you and you gave up on her." Before Liz could reply, a scream was heard from the back room so everyone went running.

When they got the door open, they all saw Maria standing by the counter holding Brendan, looking worried, while Tess was seated on the floor looking shocked. "Tess?" Kyle asked as they entered the room.

Tess glanced at Maria who shook her head slightly, letting her know to keep what had just happened quiet. Tess stood. "We saw a rat," she blurted out. "But it ran away as soon as I screamed, right out the back door."

"Why were you on the floor?" Jesse asked as he came up behind Isabel. 

"Oh umm, well you see…I was sitting on the couch but the shock of seeing the rat made me fall off," she said with a small laugh. Kyle walked over to her with a smile. 

"You always were a bit of a klutz my dear," he said and the others laughed. He however was not laughing, as he knew that Tess was lying and figured that whatever had happened, it had something to do with Brendan. 

Tess sighed in relief as they all bought her story then glared at her boyfriend. Klutz her a-ss. She was not a klutz. He was so sleeping back on the couch that night. She turned to him with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Kyle dear, do you think that you all could leave us for a bit, we were talking about something private." 

"Sure we can," Max, said and started to usher everyone back out. 

Before leaving, Liz turned to face Maria. "Can we talk? When you and Tess have finished I mean?" she asked and when Maria nodded, she left.

Tess glanced at Brendan then took a step back. "Will he do that again?" Maria shrugged. "A shrug? A shrug, that's all you can give me, a shrug?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah, look Tess I really don't know when or if he'll even do it again. All I want to know is if you can do something about it. I can't have anyone take him away from me and I'm worried that if he does this in public, by mistake that someone will see and the FBI will come and take him from me. I can't have that happen Tess." She said with sad eyes and Tess walked over to her, enveloping the taller blond…well now brunette, in a hug.

"Nothing will happen to him Maria, we'll make sure of it. Come over to my place tomorrow afternoon and I'll see what I can do. I'll see if there is anything in the book about it."

"You translated the book?" Maria asked surprised. 

"Yeah a while ago. We actually had the chance to go home yesterday in the granolith…" she trailed off remembering that Maria had no idea of what the granolith was. "It's a long story and I'll tell you later, the short of it is that we all had a chance to go home but we chose instead, to stay."

"Oh…okay," Maria said, noddling slowly. She heard Liz call out if they were finished and sighed. "What do you think she wants to talk about?"

Tess headed towards the door. "Not sure, but she sound's impatient so I'd get out there." Maria nodded and followed her out into the front part of the café where they both took a seat at a table in the middle of the café. Maria held Brendan to her chest and soothingly rubbed his back to get him to sleep and smiled when his eyes started to slip shut. She glanced up and found Michael staring intently at her. She wondered why he hadn't said anything to her yet—maybe he still hated her. 

Maria sighed. "So what did you want to speak about?" she asked, looking at Liz.

Sighing, Liz glanced at Isabel and Max before speaking. "First, I just want to say how glad I am that you're back, how glad we all are. It may not have seemed like it but we were all worried about you while you were gone." 

Maria scoffed but didn't say anything so Liz continued. "Second, I want to tell you how sorry I am for the way that I acted—" Isabel nudged her in the ribs and Liz motioned towards Isabel and Max "—we acted," she corrected. "I am so sorry for even suggesting that you get rid of your baby. I felt so ashamed of myself after that Maria, you have no idea and I'm sorry that I didn't support you and be the friend that you needed me to be. I guess I was jealous of your friendship with Tess and thought that if you needed help, that you could talk to Tess about it. I let my petty jealousy stand in the way of our friendship and let it rule over my decisions and I will forever regret it. I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day."

She stopped and stared at the table, not wanting to see the look on Maria's face when Isabel took the opportunity to apologise herself. "We have never been friends. For a while there I thought that we might have been able to start one but then your relationship with Michael stopped that. I thought that you were taking my brother away from me and hated you I guess. I hated Liz too but Max assured me that I would always come first in his life. I could never get that assurance from Michael and I was jealous." 

Isabel took a deep breath and tried to push back the tears that were rapidly forming. She hadn't realised how hard this actually would be. "That day you told us you were pregnant, I lost it and I'm not proud of myself. I jumped to conclusions and said things that were both uncalled for and untrue. I know that you would never get pregnant just to trap someone nor are you a slut. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, then I would love nothing more than to build a friendship with you."

Staying silent throughout the entire thing, Max turned to Maria who had an expressionless face which made him nervous. "Unlike you and Isabel, you and I were friends and I ruined it by being an ass that day in the Crashdown. I got angry and only thought of myself. How this would affect us, what we were going to do now, and I never once thought about what it would do to you and I am not proud of that. I'm ashamed of how I acted and don't expect you to forgive me because if I were you, I probably wouldn't. I just want you to know how sorry I am Maria, you were my friend and I wasn't there for you when I should have been." He stopped and smiled as he looked at her baby. "He really is a beautiful baby, Girlfriend." 

"Thank you Max," Maria said after a moment in an emotionless tone. She sighed before looking at the three of them. "Your apologies are appreciated but not accepted. I went to you that day hoping for support or help but none for you could give that. I needed you and you all cast me off." She stood and gathered the baby bag on her shoulder. "I was looking for help and got pushed away. I don't know if I can forgive any of you just yet, maybe one day but not now. If you'll excuse me, the plane ride here was long and I'm tired."

She pushed back from the table and headed towards the door. "Wait up," Alex called. "I'll go with you, I want to spend time with Brendan." Maria nodded and the two headed out of the café while three stunned, two amused and one brooding person all stayed seated in her wake. 

"I suppose it's better than nothing," Isabel finally said after a few minutes of silence. Liz nodded and Michael stood from his seat and headed out the door. "Where are you going?" she asked him.

Michael shrugged. "Out," he said as he exited the café and mounted his bike. Shutting the visor on his helmet, he glanced in the direction of Maria's house and made his mind up. He had to see her, and he had to do it tonight.

*~*~*~*

Maria placed Brendan in his crib and waited until he settled down before heading into her room, which was opposite Brendan's. Her mother had made up a nursery for him when she had first thought that Maria was coming back and left it in hopes that her daughter would return one day with her grandson. 

"He asleep?" Alex asked while he flicked through a magazine she had on her bed. The two had been playing with Brendan for a few minutes before he got too tired so Maria put him to bed. She nodded. "Good, so care to explain why you're really back and why you couldn't discuss it with me earlier?"

Sighing, Maria sat on her bed across from him. "Brendan's developed his powers and I need Tess to do something about it." Alex gasped and she nodded. "Yeah I know, I didn't think he'd get them so soon, if ever, but he did. I came back to ask Tess to either help him with them or do something that will take them away for the time being—until he's old enough to understand them and know when not to use them. I didn't tell you first because I didn't know until last night and my first thought was just getting to Tess and asking for her help."

"It's okay, so can she do anything?" he asked sitting up straighter. 

Maria shrugged as she fingered the pattern on her bedspread. "She's not sure. I have to take Brendan to see her tomorrow after she's gone through the book to see if there's anything she can do." Maria stifled a yawn and Alex chuckled.

"That's my cue to leave." He stood and kissed the crown of her head. "It's good to have you back." She smiled at him and they hugged. "Now get some sleep and call me tomorrow." Maria nodded and laughed as Alex walked out of her room. 

Turning down her sheets, she climbed into bed, ready to sleep, when she heard a tap at her window. She groaned to herself but got up to see who it was anyway and gasped when she came face to face with Michael. She opened the window and stepped back to make way for him to enter. Michael awkwardly made his way into her room and they stood staring silently at each other for a while, the world around them forgotten until they heard Brendan start to cry from the other room.

Maria broke out of her haze and turned to tend to her son while Michael walked around the room and sat at the foot of her bed. Her room still looked the same and he smiled faintly at all the memories they actually had in the room. His hand caressed the bedspread then suddenly the thought of Alex and Maria together hit him and he stood as if the bed had burnt him. He decided that sitting on the desk chair at the other side of the room was probably best. He watched, mesmerised, as Maria carried Brendan into the room, gently rocking him in her arms.

"Can I hold him?" he asked quietly and she glanced between him and her son before hesitantly nodding. She walked over and placed him in Michael's arms. 

"Support his head," she whispered as not to disturb her son's rest. She watched as Michael rocked Brendan with a small smile on his face. Brendan started to fuss then grabbed hold of one of Michael's fingers and calmed down. Maria was in awe, not even Alex could get him to calm down straight away once awoken from sleep. 

Michael couldn't believe that holding Brendan the way he was seemed so right, so natural. "He's beautiful," he said quietly and looked up at Maria who nodded in agreement. 

"I need to get him to bed," she said and softly took him out of Michael's arms. Michael seemed disappointed but Maria shrugged it off and once again put her son to bed. She walked back into her room and sat on her bed facing the man that had broken her heart and unknowingly fathered her child. "Why are you here?"

"Is your Mom home?" he asked. 

Maria smiled. "Why does this conversation seem so familiar?"

"I don't plan on yelling or anything, I just want to know in case she comes in with that trusty newspaper of hers. Since you left she's done nothing but look at me as though I was scum so I don't feel like pissing her off anymore than I obviously already have." 

Maria shook her head. "No she's not. She won't be back until late tomorrow so you're safe." Michael smiled and they both sat in silence for a few moments avoiding each other's gazes until Maria spoke up. "So why are you here?"

TBC… 


	9. The truth is finally revealed

**_Chapter 9 (The truth is finally revealed)_**

****

****

Michael shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair as he sat back in the chair. "I didn't get a chance to say anything to you at the Crashdown and I think that we need to talk."

"Well I think you said all I wanted to hear before I left," Maria said, tearing her gaze away from his. The memory of that day still haunted her, the things he said, the things they all said.

"I know that you probably hate me right now but I have to say a few things to you, if you chose to still never want to speak to me again, then I'll leave you alone." Maria sighed but gave a curt nod for him to continue anyway so Michael sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "That night you told us you were pregnant, when I thought that it was mine, I was scared, not only for myself, but for you as well. We have no idea what an alien foetus could do to the human body, if it could hurt you or kill you. I was scared and I lashed out by saying things that I didn't mean and will forever regret saying."

Maria sat in silence, listening to his words, only half believing him. Could she trust that he was telling the truth? She shook her head slowly. "Why did you leave?" she asked and at his slightly confused look continued, "After we slept together, why did you leave?"

He stood and started to pace around the room. "I was scared. I've never been in love before Maria, not with anyone and tried my hardest not to get attached to anyone either, but then you came along and changed that. I got attached to you and I fell in love with you, something I promised myself I would never do. Initially I was okay with that, I could handle it but then I killed Pierce. I killed Pierce with my powers and was afraid that I would eventually end up hurting you too. I loved you too much to do that to you."

"Then why did you even bother to come over to my house after leaving me at the Convention Centre?" she asked angrily. "Why did you come to see me? Why sleep with me if you had no intention of being with me?"

Michael stopped pacing and sat down next to her at the foot of the bed and looked at his hands as he played with the ring on his left hand. "I didn't come over with the intention of having sex with you, that…that was unexpected." he said with a quiet chuckle but stopped when he saw Maria glare at him. "I came over because I didn't want to end things between us the way I did. I didn't want you thinking that I told you I loved you but didn't mean it; I didn't want you hating me. I needed you to understand why we had to be apart, but when you kissed me, it was like I had lost control of myself, I couldn't stop, I didn't want to."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "When I woke up with you in my arms, I had never in my life felt so content and it scared the life out of me. All I have ever wanted was to go home, home to Antar and be the soldier I was destined to be but you, Maria…you gave me reason to stay, you made me want to give all that up and I couldn't. I couldn't do that, so I left and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I didn't want to leave but I did and I regret that decision."

He saw Maria nod out of the corner of his eye. She sat up straighter beside him and took her hand in his. "You were scared of finding a reason to stay on a planet that you hate and when you found one, you had the urge to run." 

Michael nodded. "Yeah, and I wish I never had," he whispered as he turned his hand that was being held in hers and started to caress her tiny fingers. "We had the chance to go home a week ago. Tess found the translation to the book and we were all prepared to go home, we were in the chamber to take off and everything." 

"Why didn't you?" Maria asked as she listened to him intently. 

"I couldn't leave you," he said as he stared at the far wall. "I knew that you were still mad at me and would never want to see or hear from me again, but when the final minutes ran by, I couldn't leave. All I thought about while we waited was you. How I didn't think that I could live the rest of my life without you in it, so I told them and I left the chamber, promising myself that I would find you and try to win you back. Try to get you to forgive me and accept me into your's and your child's life."

Maria pulled her hand out of his grasp and stood as his words went though her head. He stayed for her; he stayed to win her back. Michael stood and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as his head rested in the crook of her neck. "I just need to know one thing first," he said. "Are you in love with Alex?"

She shook her head as she turned in his arms with tears in her eyes. "No, I'm not," she whispered and he smiled. "But there's something I have to tell--" Michael cut her off as he brought his lips down to meet hers. 

Everything that had happened in the past had vanished from both their minds as they kissed each other with a passion like no other. Maria forgot the harsh words said and Michael forgot the fact that she 'slept' with Alex. Nothing else mattered to them at that moment. Michael slowly pulled away and looked into her teary emerald eyes with a smile. "I've been waiting so long to do that," he admitted and she gave a small laugh.

"Me too," she whispered. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Michael once again captured her lips in a domineering kiss. As the kiss heated up, Michael walked them forward until the back of Maria's legs hit her bed then carefully laid them both down so that he was hovering above her.

Maria knew that they shouldn't be doing this; they still had so much to work through. She was still mad at him and unforgiving while he was probably still angry and hurt that she 'slept' with Alex. She wanted him to stop so that she could set a few things straight but when his lips touched her now bared chest, all thoughts flew out the window and she succumbed to the feelings that passed through her body as he touched her in the most intimate of places.

She moaned softly when he kissed a trail down her stomach and peppered butterfly kisses around her belly button. She arched her back off the bed slightly when she felt him tug at her pants so that he could pull them off. Once off, he kissed her covered soaked mound and caressed her through the material of her panties. Maria panted breathlessly as he pushed the offending material aside and started to place open mouth kisses on her nether region. She was in heaven and hoped to god that she never had to leave.

As she came down from the high of a blinding orgasm, Michael stood and took off his shirt and pants then crawled up her body until their faces met. As he trailed his fingers down the side of her cheek, memories of the last night they had together flashed through his head. He couldn't believe that she was really there with him, panting for him, smiling for him, wanting him. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before entering her in one swift movement and they both moaned with pleasure at the completion the two felt once they were joined. 

Michael thrust into her slow and languid at first but her whimpers and whispers of 'more' made him thrust harder and faster. She arched her body to meet every stroke, every thrust just as hard and fast as him. Their love making seemed like a dance, like a competition to see who could break away first, who could last the longest. Maria began sucking hard enough on his neck to leave a mark, much like the one she knew was on the inside of her thigh. He had marked her so she had marked him. She knew she was close when she felt her stomach tighten and knew that she couldn't hold out much longer. Michael felt the same and opened his eyes to stare into hers. 

Once before Michael had stated that he didn't want to get intense, he couldn't afford to, now he didn't understand how he lived without that feeling, the feeling of being joined with your soul mate, the feeling of love. As their release approached, they stayed locked onto each other's gazes, afraid that if they closed their eyes then it would all have been a dream. Michael bent down to give her a passionate kiss, but as soon as their lips met, they were hit with flashes.

_Michael climbing through her window_

_Michael lying in bed holding Maria close as he kissed her forehead_

_Maria waking in the morning, devastated that he had left her_

_Alex finding Maria on the stairs then her slapping him_

_Maria telling Alex she might be pregnant with Michael's child_

_Maria and Alex holding each other while the positive test lay beside them_

_Michael yelling at her then once again leaving _

_Alex hugging Maria before she hopped into the cab to go to the airport_

_Maria giving birth then commenting on Brendan having Michael's hair_

_Brendan blasting the picture on the wall while Maria sat shocked_

_Maria asking Tess for help to control Brendan's powers_

Michael climbing through her window 

Michael pulled back in shock as their climax subsided and the flashes faded. Brendan was his. Maria had lied to him. He pulled out of her and jumped out of the bed, grabbing his pants and putting them on. 

"Michael," Maria said, sitting up on the bed, covering herself with the sheet. She knew what he had seen because it all had flashed through her head as well; only she had seen what it had been like for him not being with her as well. "Michael," she tried again when it became apparent that he didn't want to listen to her.

Michael turned around and looked at her with a hard face and cold stare, watching as she visibly flinched. "I don't want to hear it," he said calmly, too calm. "I don't want to hear anything from you. Not now, not ever." He grabbed his shirt from the floor and started to button it up then felt a hand on his forearm, turning him around again. 

"I tired to tell you before but you--" 

He cut her off when he ripped his arm out of her grasp. "You tried to tell me?" he asked as slight anger tinged his voice. "When?" he demanded to know. "When did you try? When you were telling me that the baby was Alex's? When you left to go to France? When you let me think that we could still have this?" he asked, waving his hand between them. 

Maria picked up her robe and wrapped it around her body as she rose from the bed, anger marring her features. "I did try to tell you but you stopped me. All I have ever wanted to do from the start is tell you." Michael scoffed and she glared at him. "Okay then Michael," she said, stressing his name. "Think about why I kept it from you, why I wouldn't want to tell you that Brendan is yours. Go on!" she yelled. "Think about the night that I told you I was pregnant and the things you said to me, then ask me how could I have kept this from you."

"I don't have to listen to this," he said, walking over to where he had kicked off his shoes. "You lied to me Maria, you kept my own son away from me." He shoved his feet into his shoes. "I have done a lot of bad things, and will probably do a lot more, but I would never have tried to keep your child away from you. I don't think I'll ever forgive you for that." 

"But I'm supposed to forgive you for all the things you said to me?" she asked with tears coursing down her cheeks as she sat back down on the bed. She shook her head, not believing that he could turn this all around onto her, like she was the only one in the wrong. "Get out," she whispered. "Just get out."

Michael turned and headed for the window but paused before climbing out. "All I have ever wanted was a family and you took that away from me. We have both done things we're not proud of, but that does not excuse you of keeping my son away from me." With that he climbed out the window, leaving Maria sobbing loudly into her pillows still laced with his scented aftershave. 

TBC…


	10. The confrontation period

Chapter 10 (The confrontation period) 

****

****

Alex groaned as he was awoken from his sleep by the incessant banging at the front door. He was just glad that his parents weren't home to hear it. "Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm coming," he said as he approached the door. He swung it open. "Look buddy, it's 3 am and…" he trailed off when he recognised the person to be Michael. He then noticed the hard look in his eye and nodded in understanding as he let the broody alien into his living room. "She told you."

"You could say that," Michael said, taking a seat. Alex could hear the anger in his voice and wondered what exactly had happened between the two. Michael ran a hand through his hair and over his face as he sighed. "I hated you for the longest time after she left. I thought that you had taken her away from me, that you had taken what was mine and I hated you for it. I could see that she was happy when around you, something she rarely ever was when she was with me and I guess you could say that I was jealous. You took away the only person that ever meant anything to me and made her your own. Or so I thought."

Alex shook his head as he sat on the sofa across from him. "I didn't take her away and she wasn't yours. You threw her away remember? You discarded her like she was nothing after you slept with her. You made her feel like s-hit." He could feel himself starting to get angry with the alien and his confidence grew. "Even if I had taken her and made her my own, you couldn't do a damn thing about it. Stop blaming other people for your actions Michael. You threw her away and therefore gave up any rights you had in concern with her."

"I know I did," Michael said, nodding. "I did throw her away but that didn't mean that I loved her any less nor does it give her the right to keep the fact that she was pregnant with my child away from me."

Alex scoffed and sat back in his seat. "I can't believe that you said that," he said, shaking his head. "How can you honestly blame her for keeping that from you? Would you like me to remind you what you said to her the night she told everyone she was pregnant? First you blamed her for getting pregnant on purpose just to trap you into a relationship, then basically called her a s-lut then told her that you didn't love her and would never love the child she was carrying. Not to mention the fact that when they all thought the baby was alien, Liz, Isabel and Max wanted it aborted." 

Mulling over what was being yelled at him, Michael then realised what an a-ss he had really been that night. How could he have said those things to her? Alex was right, he was to blame for everything, no wonder Maria didn't want to tell him. His eyes widened slightly when he thought back to what he had said to Maria earlier that night. He had said that he could never forgive her for keeping Brendan away from him. Would she forgive him for anything he had done to her? Could they ever repair the damage that had been done?

Alex wasn't finished and continued with his rant. "Now ask me why she kept it from you? Go on," he yelled, "ask me. She kept it from you to save herself from hurt and to keep her baby from going through the same thing." Alex sat back down and rubbed his temples. "She wanted to tell you but I was the one who convinced her not to. I could see what all of the things you and the others had said were doing to her and couldn't sit by and let her take it any more and you know what?" he asked. "I would do it all again in a second because you needed this time to realise how much Maria really meant to you. You have both done things that admittedly could have been dealt with better, but you've been given a second chance to make things right. Don't screw it up Michael."

Michael looked at the man in front of him with a newfound respect and realised that everything he had said was right, he had been given a second chance…but could they really ever get past what had happened? Could he let what she did to him go? He stood and stuck his hand out for Alex to shake, which he did. "Thank you for looking after my family."

Nodding, Alex walked him to the door and opened it but before letting Michael past, he had a few last things to say. "If you ever hurt her again, not only will I hurt you, but I will take both Maria and Brendan somewhere you will never find them. You will never see them and never speak to them again. Do you understand?"

Michael gave a curt nod in response and Alex let him past, happy with the reply. He looked on as Michael headed towards his bike and even though he had hated Michael before, he couldn't help but hope that the two would work things out. They belonged together. They were soul mates.

The next morning, Outside Michael's apartment 

****

Maria stood outside and paused before she knocked. She was nervous about seeing him after what had happened between them the night before. True he had said things that were mean and hateful but she had also done her fair share of regretful things. She awoke this morning with one thought in mind, to explain to Michael why she kept Brendan's rightful father a secret.

Inside 

Michael raced around his apartment trying to get himself sorted before going to see Maria. After sleeping on what Alex had said to him he decided that they needed to talk, to work things through. He had to, for him, for Maria and most importantly, for Brendan. Once he was ready, he walked to the door and opened it, surprised when he was greeted with a fist almost hitting his face. The fist lowered and Michael was shocked to see Maria standing at his front door looking nervous and scared. 

"Maria?"

She looked up and he moved out of the way so that she could enter. "Can we talk?" she asked, standing in the middle of the room.

"Where's Brendan?" Michael motioned for her to sit beside him on the couch and she did so timidly. 

Maria sighed and knew that this was going to be hard. "I left him with Tess and Kyle. I thought that we needed to talk…alone. And before you ask me to leave please…please will you just hear me out?" she glanced at him and was a little shocked when she saw him nod but recovered quickly. "I know that I should have told you about Brendan when I first found out I was pregnant but I was scared. Scared of what you'd say or do. You were a 17-year-old teenager Michael, no teenager wants to be tied down to a family at that age. That was one of many reasons why I didn't tell you."

"Go on," he urged her as they sat back, getting comfortable. 

She took a deep breath and continued with her reasons. "The day that I told you I was pregnant was only the second day I knew. I had done a test the night before and pretty much cried myself to sleep. After talking to my Mom and Alex, we had decided that while I was pregnant I would live in France with my Aunt then return home when he was born only I had fallen in love with France and knew that you wanted nothing to do with me. That's why I stayed in France but I'm getting off track," she said with a soft laugh.

"I had every intention of telling you that night but then when you yelled all those reasons at me I froze and Alex came to my defence claiming the child as his and after hearing what the others were proposing I do, I couldn't sit and listen to it anymore and it was just easier to let the lie continue. You didn't want my child or me and I didn't want to give him up. At the time, I thought that it was the best solution and still to this day do as well because you cannot tell me that if you thought it were yours all along that we would be here right now. That you would have come last night claiming that you still loved me and wanted me and Brendan in your life."

Maria stood and started to pace the room. "I did what I did for my son. I didn't want him brought up in an environment that had both of his parents at each other's throats and hating each other. I'm sorry for what happened last night. We should never have…done what we did because of all the baggage that is between us. Still, that didn't give you the right to yell at me the way you did. I know what I did was wrong but what did you expect me to do after that night in the Crashdown Michael? Honestly, if you were me would you have done anything differently?"

He scratched his eyebrow and cast his eyes downward. "Probably not. I was out of line last night, I'll admit that and after leaving your place, I went over to see Alex. He made me see some home truths and I realised that I had no right being as angry as I was. Yes I was hurt and still partly am that you kept him from me, but I understand why you did it and can't blame you." He stood and stepped in front of her, taking her hands in his. "We have both done things that we regret, but we were given a second chance and I for one don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose you or my son Maria."

He stopped and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "We still have a lot to work through and sort out, it's going to take time but if you feel the same way, then what I would like more than anything, is to have both you and Brendan back in my life. I love you Maria, I always have and want to be with you. I want to be with you, and I want to be a father for my son. I'm ready to be Dad. I want my family back."

Maria pursed her lips together as a tear crept down her cheek. He was right, they did have a lot to sort out but if being honest with herself, she too wanted her family back. She wanted him back. She nodded and smiled at him. "I would like that," she said softly. "But I want to take things slow, we need to work a lot of things out first and for this to work, we need to sort them out. I want to do this right."

Michael nodded and brought her body close to his for a tight hug. He breathed in her scent and he kissed the crown of her head. "Me too Maria, me too."

****

Epilogue, 1 year and 7 months later 

****

****

Michael sat on the carpeted floor of his apartment with his back against the bottom of the couch and his now 3-year-old son sitting between his outstretched legs in the same fashion watching the television with interest. Michael heard a grunt then watched as his girlfriend of the past year and a half lug a heavy bag towards the front door. He couldn't believe that she was leaving them, leaving him.

"Do you have to leave?" Michael asked, looking towards her with pleading eyes.

Maria turned to face with, her face showing nothing but the obvious sadness she was feeling. "I have to Michael, you know I do. I just can't stay here anymore."

Rolling her eyes, Tess appeared from the bedroom door with another bag. "You act as if you're never going to see each other again. Geez, it's only one night," she said, placing the bag on the ground by Maria's feet.

Michael glared at the evil blue-eyed blond. "You're taking my fiancé away from me," he growled menacingly, however it didn't have his desired effect when Maria started to giggle.

"It's tradition Michael," she said, walking towards him and their son. After a year of working through all of their problems and finally finding complete happiness in their lives with one another, Michael had proposed to her one night during a candle lit dinner for just the two of them. Isabel and Jesse had looked after Brendan that night and Michael had made everything perfect. She was shocked and happy at the same time, not once suspecting that he was going to propose. 

Michael smiled at her as she bent down to give him a kiss. "It's also tradition to have the baby _after_ the wedding," he stated with a smug smile. Maybe she'd reconsider and stay.

Tess groaned, walked over and tugged on Maria's arm. She knew that if she let the two continue to kiss then she'd never have a hope in hell of getting her out of there. They were supposed to meet Liz and Isabel for lunch. Over the past year, the two had tried to restore their friendship with Maria and she was slowly learning to forgive them. Maria had even made them bridesmaids and Isabel, along with her mother, was her wedding co-ordinator. Michael and Alex too had started up a tentative friendship.

"You can't see the bride the day before the wedding Michael. I'm taking her with me so deal with it," she said, trying to pry the two apart. 

Michael growled. He really didn't like this tradition. Maria giggled again and kissed him once more on the lips softly. "It's only for one night," she told him and smiled when he started to pout. "Michael, we'll have the rest of our lives to spend together."

He nodded and smiled along with her. "Yeah," he whispered as he tugged her head down to kiss him once more. "Because I'm never letting you go again."

"Good," she whispered back then kissed her son's forehead before stepping back. Tess started to drag her out of the room. "Take care of Brendan, Michael," she yelled just before Tess pushed her completely out of the apartment and Michael laughed. Just when he thought that they had gone he heard her yell out something else. "And Brendan, you take care of Daddy, make sure he stays out of trouble."

Michael rolled his eyes but laughed all the same. He turned his gaze back to the television as Brendan pointed to it with a huge half toothless grin. "Spidy-man," he said, clapping his hands. 

Nodding his head, Michael watched his son take vivid interest in the show that had taken his fancy when he was much younger. He couldn't wait until tomorrow when he officially made them his family. Brendan turned toward his father with a frown as an ad came on the TV. "Do I have ta wear da suit?"

Michael laughed. "Yeah Bren you do." Maria wanted them both to look their best so had tailor made suits done for them. "It'll make Mommy happy," he added and looked on, as Brendan seemed to contemplate that last bit of information before finally nodding his head.

"Okay, for Mommy," he said, turning back towards the television. Michael chuckled and also turned his attention towards the television to watch the amazing adventures of Spiderman, all the while wondering how he had gotten so lucky. He had a son and a soon-to-be wife. Life couldn't have been better.

The End


End file.
